Sprocket-wheel.



No. 639,002. Patented Dec. l2, I899.

J. & W. TITUS. v SPRUCKET (Application filed June 19, 1

WHEEL.

(No Model.)

INVENTURS 062;

TATES- PATENT FFECE.

JOHN TITUS, OF OYSTER BAY, AND WILLIAM TITUS, OF NORTH IIEMPSTEAQ, NEWYORK.

SPROCKET-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent N 0. 639,002, datedDecember 12, 1899.

Application filed June 19, 1899.

To all whmn it nuty concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN TITUS, a resident of Oyster Bay, and ILLIAMTITUs,a resident of Old VVestbury, town of North Hempstead, in thecounty of Nassau and State of New York, citizens of the United States,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sprocket-lVheels;and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is aside view of asprocket-wheel made according to our invention. Fig. 2 isa sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View taken inthe line 00 w of Fig. 2and in a plane at right angles to Figs. 1 and 2.

It is well known in the art of transmitting power and motion by chainsand sprocket devices that the wear of the chain upon the sprocket-teethgradually elongates the interior of the links of the chain, therebylengthening the links in the operation of the apparatus out of unisonwith the sprocket-teeth, and therebyimpairing and finally destroying theworking of the mechanism.

The object or our invention is to provide against this drawback to themost successful use of sprocket-and-chain devices; and it comprisescertain novel means whereby we provide for the adjustment at will of thesprocket-teeth, so that as the chain-links elongate or wear away theteeth may be eX- tended to accurately compensate for such elongation ofthe links, and thereby maintain the unison and synehronism in themovements of the parts requisite to their successful operation.

A is a rim of a sprocket-wheel carried by a spider B, which may becomposed of radial spokes or equivalent means for connecting the rimwith the hub O, which in its turn is fast upon the usual or any suitablesprocketshaft D. The spider is concave at one side, as shown in Fig. l,for a purpose herein presently explained.

Formed radially in the rim A are sockets Each of these sockets has oneof its lateral walls recessed inward or of semidovetail shape, as shownat a in Fig. 3. Its opposite Serial No. 721,038. (No model.)

side may be at right angles to its bottom, as shown at b in said figure.E are the sprocketteeth. These are detachable and are placed in thesockets a. Each tooth is made sloping at its sides or lateral edges, sothat one,

a, of said edges may fit the semidovetail lateral wall a of the socketin which it is placed, while the opposite of said edges, 19, operates inconjunction with a wedge or key G, pres- 6o ently herein described. Eachsocket is somewhat wider at its bottom than is the tooth which is placedtherein. At the space F thus afforded at one edge of the tooth isprovided a hole or bore e, which is transverse to the face of the rim.Placed in the said space F is a wedge or tapering key G, which has ascrew-shank g, which passes through the hole or bore and projects fromthe opposite side of the rim. Upon this screw-shank is placed a nut 2.The key G has its sloping or wedgelike surface in contact with theadjacent sloping surface of the tooth, while its back rests against theright-angled side 5 of the socket. The parts being thus constructed andar- 7 ranged, the tooth may be moved radially inward or outward,provided the key is loosened to permit such movement. When the tooth isthus adjusted to the required position, the wedge is tightened againstthe tooth, the slop- 8o ing edge of the latter is crowded into thesemidovetail side of the socket, while the wedge of the key not onlycrowds the teeth, as described, and byits strong frictional hold uponthe tooth prevents its longitudinal movement, but being itself ofsemidovetail form. operates in conjunction with the farther side of thesocket to prevent the tooth from getting out of its place, the toothbeing, so to speak, tightly dovetailed in position and gripped againstdisplacement by any of the ordinary vicissitudes of use.

To enable the sprocket-teeth to be readily adjusted through thecircumference of the rim, we provide an adjustable circular guide I,which is arranged concentric with the rim and in such relation with theinner'ends of the adjustable sprocket-teeth that by first adj usting theguide to a proper position the said teeth may be brought in contact withthe guide in such a manner that their distances from the axis ofrotation of the wheel shall be practically uniform. As shown in Fig. 1,this guide is, so to speak, dish-shaped, with a central hub whichencircles the sprocketshaft D. The flaring circumference m of this guideprojects into the circular space within the rim into the space affordedby the concave side of the spider herein previously described. The innerends of the sprocketteeth are concentric with this flaring circumferenceof the guide I, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The web a, which connectsthe hub of the guide with its circumferential part m, has holes 1"" init, which are coincident with circular holes 7" in the part '2" of thespider B of the sprocket-wheel. Bolts R are pushed through these holesand are provided with heads a and nuts 6. These hold the guide firmly inits required position with reference to the sprocket-Wheel and enable itto be adjusted at will to a greater or less distance within thecircularspace B. When the guide is moved inward, its hub, movable along.the shaft of the sprocket-wheel, crowds the teeth radially outward, theteeth being of course loosened to permit such movement. When the guidehas been brought to the position which thus adjusts the teeth to thedesired position, theinner ends of the teeth resting'against thecircumference of the guide, the teeth are tightened in their places bymeans'of the keys or wedges, as hereinbefore explained. By the meansdescribed, therefore, a sprocket-Wheel which by the wear of the links ofits chain has become relatively too small in circumference to cooperateproperly with thee hain may be brought up to an actual workingcircumference which fits it perfectly for cooperation with the elongatedlinks of the chain. that as the guide may be-retained in the positionatwhich it regulates the adjustment of the teeth, as described, itprovides an additional support to said teeth to assist in retaining themin position against the stress exerted upon them when the sprocket-Wheeland itschain are in operation.

"What we claim as our invention is- 1. The combination with the rim of asprocket-wheel constructed with radial sockets, and a circularadjustable guide concentric with the axis of the sprocket-wheel andhaving its'hub movable longitudinally upon the'shaft of the latter, ofradially-adjustable sprocket-teeth placed in the sockets with theirinner ends coincident with the guide, means for retaining the guide atpoints to which it may be adjusted along the shaft and means forretaining the sprocket-teeth in the positions to which they may bebrought by the guide, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination with the rim .of a

It may also be mentioned sprocket-wheel constructed with radial sockets,a dish-shaped guide concentric with the axes of the sprocket-wheel, andbolts for adjusting the guide, of adjustable sprocketteeth placed in thesockets coincident with the flaring circumference of the said guide, andmeans for retaining the teeth in the positions to which they may beadjusted by the guide, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination with a rim of a sprocketwheel constructed with radialsemidovetail sockets, of adjustable sprocket-teeth placed in saidsockets, and keys or wedges placed in the opposite sides of the socketsand arranged to crowd the teethinto the said semidovetail sides of thesocket, and to retain said teeth in position, substantially as hereinset forth.

4. The combination with a rim of a sprocketwheel constructed with radialsemidovetail sockets, adjustable sprocket-teeth placed in said sockets,and keys or wedges arranged to crowd the teeth against the dovetailsides of the sockets, of an adjustable dishshaped guide concentric withthe axes of the sprocketwheel, bolts for adjusting said guide withreference to the ends of the sprocket-teeth extended outward from therim, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination with a rim of a sprocketwheel with semidovetailradial sockets, and with holes or bores extended transversely from saidsockets, of adjustable dovetail radial sprocket-teeth placed in thesockets and narrower than the said sockets, and wedges constructed withscrew-shanks passed through the bores or holes, and nuts on the saidshanks for tightening the Wedges to grip and retain in place the teethin the sockets, substantially as herein set forth.

6. The combination With arim of a sprocketwheel constructed withsemidovetail radial sockets, and with holes or bores extendedtransversely from said sockets, adjustable dovetail radialsprocket-teeth placed in the sockets, wedges constructed withscrewshanks passed through the transverse holes, and nuts on saidscrew-shanks for tightening the wedges upon the teeth, of a circulardishshaped guide concentric with the axes of the:

sprocket-wheehand extended Within the rim, and bolts for adjusting theflaring circumference of said guide against the inner ends of the teethand to connect said guide with the rim, substantially as herein setforth.

JOHN TITUS. l/VILLIAM TITUS.

Witnesses:

WM. E. HAWXHURST, MARGARET T. HAWXHURST.

